Rating: 
Summary: "Fast-food" parenting
Review: I've listened to the first few chapters of this book and have decided not to waste my time with the rest. Hogg's advice about trying to establish structure, respecting the baby, re-creating the womb in order to soothe ...this is all good, but it's nothing new. For the most part it's pretty instinctive. Do we (even new parents) really need to be TOLD to do all these things?These are natural, loving responses that parents will find themselves exhibiting right away if they have accepted the responsibility of becoming parents. Hogg seems to be directing her advice to parents who still aren't quite sure if they want to shoulder the task, and who are looking for shortcuts and convenience. Well, guess what: that's why having a baby is a life-changing experience, folks ...because you HAVE to accept that your life will be irreversibly changed. There are NO shortcuts! Hogg's advice is like fast food: it's in handy-dandy 4-piece (4-step) packages with snappy, appealing names like EASY and SLOW. This is very misleading and does new parents a great disservice. I believe babies SHOULD be rocked and sung to sleep, and nursed to sleep if they (and mom) want...nighttime parenting is just as important as daytime parenting. Rocking, singing, and nursing at bedtime is a wonderful way for the parent, not just the baby, to wind down and relax too. Intimacy grows slowly from all those hours invested in parent-to-baby physical contact that ultimately produce a happy, secure baby and parent. And no parent should ever feel bad about sleeping with your baby. Banishing the baby to the crib from day one is an unnatural expectation that is very popular in American culture but certainly not universal. If mom and baby both sleep better when cuddled together ...why not do it? Why the rush to isolate him from those who are his ENTIRE world in those early months - his parents? When baby is ready for his own space he will seek it out one way or another. The breastfeeding advice is nothing short of shocking, and it worries me that many new moms might be discouraged from even attempting it after reading Hogg's negative write-up. I agree with Hogg that breastfeeding doesn't work for everyone, and that moms who choose otherwise should never be made to feel bad about it. But what bugs me is how she so easily dismisses or just doesn't even mention the incredible advantages that mother's milk gives a growing baby. For mothers who can do it, it is one of the greatest gifts you can give to your child. Hogg is the ONLY child care professional I have ever encountered who actively discourages it. That's a real shame. New parents - if you read this one, please also read Dr. Sears' excellent books, and pick and choose (from all sources) what works best for YOU without feeling guilty or coerced.
Rating: 
Summary: Warning - bad advice
Review: Someone bought me this book and I wish they hadn't wasted their money. Don't buy this book unless you are a Nazi. The breastfeeding advice is terrible and the use of pacifiers appalling. Artificial nipples (pacifiers and bottles etc.) should not be used by breastfed babies until after breastfeeding is well establish (6-8weeks). This is precisely the time when the author WANTS people to use them to "train" the baby. Babies need to be breastfed ON DEMAND to build and maintain a good supply of milk. What about letting the baby establish their own "schedule" in their own time?
Rating:
Summary: Disastrous advice
Review: This book promises much and delivers little. As a new mom I derived some hope from the seemingly simple advice in this book that it would help me and my daughter - for example in getting more sleep! But it in fact led to some very upsetting and frustrating nights where she was hungry and I was trying to 'teach' her to sleep! A really bad idea. Luckily my husband suggested getting rid of the book - the only baby care book which we bought and have not kept. Don't buy it...don't try it.
Rating: 
Summary: What's best for baby...
Review: At first I hated this book! When Grace wasn't sleeping (co-sleeping) "through the night" or taking a nap longer than twenty minutes at four months, I was ready to give anything besides letting her cry a try. I hadn't been without my baby for more than thirty minutes (my shower) day or night. I moved her out of my bed into her crib for naps and bedtime in less than two weeks with Tracey's help. No more walking/rocking to sleep for Grace! She now sleeps six hour stretches at night and at least an hour for each nap. She is a much happier baby and other people can watch her now.Every baby is different, so this book is not for every baby. When you're at your wits end, Tracey offers humor and a loving motherly tone to help you through. I would suggest this book along with "No-cry sleep solution." Your baby has to learn how to sleep just like you have to learn how to be a mother!
Rating: 
Summary: fantastic, unbiased, read to help you make your own choices
Review: This is just simply a wonderful, wonderful book. With a ton of parenting books out there, it's so comforting to know there is one that presents totally unbiased views and leads you to make your own decisions and conclusions. I feel so much more prepared than I did going into my first child being born (this is my second) having read this book because I know that with the help outlined here, I can finally KNOW a way to listen to my baby and communicate with him! In response to the reviewer who ranted about the information being useless, I completely and fervently disagree. The author never once touts one method over another and presents all sides equally, which to me discounts what the reviewer stated. Obviously, if you have hard and fast ideas about how parenting "should be", this book is probably not for you. However, if you want to educate yourself by exploring all avenues and make up your own mind instead of being rolled over by a lot of the "you should do this or you're no good" attitude that a lot of books an so-called experts emit, then this book is perfect for you. Parenting is different for everyone, and this book explains that and helps you make the most of what type of parent you want to be. IT'S ALL YOU NEED!!!!
Rating:
Summary: secrets of the baby whisperer
Review: This book is superb! I especially like the way the author writes, she is a incredibly talented person with great since of humor. The techniques she describes in the book work like a charm. I am so glad I read this book and took her advice with the EASY plan. My baby who is 6 mo. today has adapted extremely well to this plan and he is a truly happy baby. I recommend this book so that you can eliminate the guessing game.
Rating:
Summary: Read all reviews and gain knowledge
Review: As a pediatrician, mother and former nanny myself I write this review. I had heard about this book from a mother who's child was having trouble thriving because she only nursed him on a schedule. After I read this book I see why. This book is based mostly on opinion and not on facts which is very sad, it has alot if mis-information! Some advice is helpful, like reading your babies cries. (though this information can be found in various other places as well.) However the majority of the book is litteraly useless! The section on breastfeeding is the worst!!!! The facts are nursing is BEST for your baby, the vitamins in human milk have a much higher absorbtion rate then the formula she inadvertently pushes, the AAP says it is important to nurse your child for at least 1 YEAR, longer if you choose. Many benifits have been proven from nursing. You also don't need 16 glasses of water a day or to wipe yourself clean afterwards to avoid bacteria! The nursing section aside, babies need to be held, rocked, ect. A proven fact, babies who are held/picked up when crying cry less and are more trusting, have better bonds with their parents and are more self confident when older! Also, though not everyones choice, co-sleeping can be a safe alternative if you are careful. (Have a firm matress, keep pillows and blankets away from the child, don't drink/smoke, don't go to bed overly tired.) A recent study showed that 50% of babies sleep with their parents for at least some time during their first year. Everyones parenting style is different, and it can get hectic at times but a baby needs comfort and contact! Even if you like this book please do your reaserch! As with any baby book I hear reviews on (whether good or bad.) the best adivce I can give is READ OTHER BOOKS TOO! Lots of books have good information PICK AND CHOOSE AND LEARN FROM MANY DIFFERNET PARENTING BOOKS, NOT JUST ONE!
Rating:
Summary: My own personal new mommy support group!
Review: I really loved this book as a new mother. Not only did it contain helpful hints for every situation I came across with my son, it had this great encouraging and humorous tone! I needed to hear how this whole baby-care thing was maybe not a molehill, but it didn't have to be a mountain either. Very practical and down-to-earth, and full of very accessible information. I particularly found her tables with estimated feed times, amounts, and others very helpful, as a lot of books don't seem to dare to put even a rough estimate on these things. I bought several books, but this is the one I keep returning to the most.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful! Gentle advice from a baby expert.
Review: If you love your baby and you want to have some sanity in your life, read this book. My baby is a classic easy baby, but when my baby and I came down with a cold in his third month, things got desperate and I practiced what the author calls 'accidental parenting' which is to say that I wasn't responding properly to his needs when my little boy awoke in the middle of the night. I was exhausted and my baby who had been sleeping 6-7 hours straight began waking up to nurse every 3-4 hours. Why? Because I was feeding him every time he awoke, so I could quickly get back to bed. With the advice from this book I began to get up, listen to his cries, determine whether he was actually hungry and if not, comfort him and calm him to get him back to sleep. The first night of this was terrible--he awoke every 20 minutes, all night, I fed him once. The next night he was nearly back to normal. By the third night I had my little angel back, sleeping peacefully through the whole night. The author provides a nice middle ground between strict scheduling and complete on-demand feedings. She provides encouragement to new parents and she tries to educate parents in how to really respond to their child's true needs, whether they be for food, comfort or a decrease in stimulation. Of course you needn't follow every word of advice to the 't.' As with any baby book you must apply some common sense and figure out what works for you. If you'd like to have some sanity in your babycare, read this book.
Rating:
Summary: Going back to work soon? need help?
Review: I found this book incredibly helpful.
I started reading this book when my son was 8 weeks old. I was planning to return to work in 2 weeks, and he still wasn't showing any signs of establishing a routine or schedule that anyone could follow. I knew I could not leave him with a daycare provider without having established a couple of things: sleeping in his own room, or even a room without mom and dad; stretching out his feedings; establishing "play time" and giving him a sense of security.
The first chapter will ask you to identify which "kind" of baby you have. My first thought was, well, every baby is different, no one baby fits into a "mold". I was wrong....There in that chapter, she laid out for me that I had a "touchy" baby and that a routine would help him be less fussy and happier. I thought, "okay, but how do I do that?"
Tracy walks you right through how to establish a routine for you and your baby. For us, we were not "routine/schedule" kinds of people. Two things we learned, a schedule isn't bad or limiting, and change isn't bad either!
We followed Tracy's suggestions on everything from establishing the routine, and how to get the little guy to sleep in his crib. The routine has taken about a week to adopt and actually see the signs of improvement. I have seen what happens when we break the routine too! Getting the baby to sleep in the crib took about 3 nights, which she states it will.
You have to be willing to stick with her suggestions. I am amazed all of the time how her "tricks of the trade" always seem to work for my baby.
I feel that this book is a must have for moms and dads preparing to go back to work, or if your baby is still sleeping in your bed or room. Not only will she walk you through how to change this sleeping habit, she will tell you how to identify when the baby is tired BEFORE they are tired and how to put them in their crib awake and let THEM put themselves to sleep.
Looking forward to sleeping? Read this book.....
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